The Board found that rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory synovitis were not incurred in service, and may not be presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA compensation and pension examination indicated the veteran's joint problems began after military service, and a significant appreciable time thereafter. The examiner concluded it was less likely than not that his arthritis was related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory synovitis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2005
- Citation
- 0519596
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0519596.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blackouts and fainting spells, a bilateral foot condition, and rheumatoid arthritis due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
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